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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · foot · cap · wind · hide · key · hand · content

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — of ice
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com